Turkey Breast

About

Turkey Breast is meat taken from the breast part of the turkey and are sometimes processed in different ways. Turkey breast is all white meat, which is high in protein but low in fat. They can be served as an entree, used on sandwiches, salads or served as an appetizer.

Selecting and Buying

Choosing: Selecting the turkey is an important part of the planning process. Butterball® makes it easy with a full line of products, from frozen whole turkeys to whole breasts to fully cooked turkeys, that suit any occasion or number of guests. These useful tips from our experts will help you decide what’s right for you. To begin, think about how many people you will be serving. Are they all adults or are there children? Are they big eaters or light eaters? And will you want leftovers? Use this simple Plan Perfect Portions Calculator to determine how much turkey buy. Then decide which kind of turkey is best for your particular feast. The decision to purchase a fresh or frozen turkey is based on your preference, but here are some general guidelines to help make your decision easier: 1. Fresh turkeys need no thawing and are ready to cook. 2. Fresh, non-basted Butterball turkeys are all natural. 3. Frozen turkeys can be purchased weeks in advance but require several days of thawing before roasting. A quick rule of thumb is to allow 1 day for every 4 pounds of turkey. 4. The breast meat of frozen Butterball turkeys has been deep basted for juiciness and additional flavor.

Buying: Frozen turkey breast can be bought at supermarkets all year long.

Preparation and Use

If you're preparing frozen turkey breast, allow it to defrost thoroughly so it will cook properly.

Cleaning: Remove the giblets! Don't leave the turkey giblets in the internal cavity of the turkey even if you like giblets, as they are wrapped in paper. You do not want to cook and serve them this way. You can bake them in the oven in a separate container, add them to you stuffing, or cook them in soup or gravy. Giblets adds more cooking time to the turkey, are often undercooked and can become a nest for bacteria if they stay too long in the cavity after the turkey is out of the oven. Clean the cavity! Put the turkey in a large pan. Pour some cold water to rinse the excess blood out of the cavity. Never use hot or warm water as it will cook the meat, dry it out and invite bacteria for dinner. Say "No" to bacteria! Add a teaspoon of salt in the cold water as you rinse out the turkey's internal cavity. This will prevent a bacterial infestation, which would make everyone sick. Also, the salt will prevent the meat from drying out by keeping the juices trapped inside the flesh. It also adds to the taste. Drain it all! Drain the salted water out the the internal cavity of the turkey. Repeat the process! Complete this cleaning process three times in order to ensure that the cavity has been thoroughly and safely cleaned out

Conserving and Storing

How to Store an Uncooked Turkey Place a frozen turkey, unopened and still in its wrapper, in a freezer at 0 degrees F or colder. Store no longer than seven months. Store a fresh uncooked turkey in the coldest part of the refrigerator (wherever the cold air comes out) for no longer than four days. If you need to refreeze a thawed, previously frozen turkey, keep the turkey in its unopened wrapper or rewrap very tightly and put in the coldest part of the freezer. NOTE: Refreezing a turkey that has already been thawed is not recommended. Refreeze only if the turkey has been properly thawed within the past two days. Always remember to postpone stuffing a turkey until the moment you are ready to roast it. How to Store Leftover Turkey Wash your hands with soap and warm water before handling leftover turkey. Remove stuffing from inside the turkey. Refrigerate stuffing in a separate, tightly covered plastic storage container. Take turkey meat off the bones with clean hands. Save bones for making broth. Dice turkey if you plan to use it in soup, turkey tetrazzini or other recipes Wrap turkey tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Refrigerate or freeze immediately - within 2 hours of preparation. Arrange leftovers at least 2 inches apart in the fridge to allow cold air to circulate. Use leftover turkey within three to four days. NOTES: Use separate dishes, knives and cutting boards for raw and cooked turkey. Cool hot turkey in the fridge instead of on the counter. Refrigerate within two hours of preparation. Use a refrigerator thermometer to make sure your fridge stays between 35 and 40 degrees F. Small portions of leftovers cool faster. Toss any turkey leftovers that look or smell odd. But remember, contaminated food may look and smell fine. When in doubt, throw it out.

Social/Political

Prior to World War II, turkey was something of a luxury in the United Kingdom, with goose or beef a more common Christmas dinner (In Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Bob Cratchit had a goose before Scrooge bought him a turkey).

History: The modern domesticated turkey is descended from one of six subspecies of wild turkey, Meleagris gallopavo gallopavo, ancient Mesoamericans having chosen to domesticate this taxon. The Aztecs domesticated the turkey (Mexican Spanish guajolote, from Nahuatl huexolotl) and used it as a major source of protein (meat and eggs), and also employed its feathers extensively for decorative purposes, as did many other Mesoamerican cultures. The turkey was associated with their trickster god Tezcatlipoca, perhaps because of its humorous behavior. There is also evidence that it is possible the Hopi Indians may have domesticated the turkey even before the Aztecs. Turkeys were taken to Europe by the Spanish, who had found them as a favorite domesticated animal among the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican peoples. After being introduced to Europe, many distinct turkey breeds were developed (e.g. Spanish Black, Royal Palm). In the early 20th century, many advances were made in the breeding of turkeys, resulting in varieties such as the Beltsville Small White.gh

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